Commentary:

I began writing poetry to express thoughts and feelings that grew out of everyday life experiences. I wanted to capture for myself particularly poignant moments in order to etch them more concretely in my memory. The poems became a very personal kind of "diary in art."

On January 28, 1986, I was watching the Challenger liftoff on television and witnessed the horrible explosion. At that instant, I recalled a dream of the week before in which I saw the Challenger explode--a disquieting dream to be sure, but I really thought nothing more of it.

A torrent of emotion was stirred within me by this catastrophic event, rousing internal debate about the nature of dreams, of life, and of reality itself. "Seven Set Free" reflects both optimism and foreboding in the face of death. To be aware is perhaps the best we can hope for. As Hamlet says before his fatal contest with Laertes, "Let be. The readiness is all."